The Future of Canadian Startups: AI, Capital, and Brain Drain Change

Aug 12, 2026The Gradient Ascent podcast

The Future of Canadian Startups: AI, Capital, and Brain Drain Change

Running time: 17 minutes, 38 seconds

In this episode of The Gradient Ascent Podcast, CIBC’s Paul McKinlay and Daniel Lee sit down with George Babu and Gideon Hayden to explore what it takes to build enduring AI companies today — from cheaper experimentation and distributed teams to smarter go-to-market strategies. They also dig into a bigger question for Canada’s tech ecosystem: how do we keep top founders building at home when talent, capital and ambition move globally?

Episode Contributor

Paul McKinlay

Executive Managing Director, Head of Innovation Banking

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